Topic: How much could I get for my bike?

[AntiRiceCRX]

I am thinking of selling my bike, i got a B16 for my civic and i want to turbo it, for some reason riding a bike again wasnt what i thought it would be, the wreck just kinda made me more uncomfortable on a bike. So if i sold the bike how it is (missing a front master cylinder), how much would you guys be willing to pay? My dad and some of his friends say i could get $2,000 for it...

[ProTeal55]

Throw it on Ebay and see what happenes...
I paied $800 for my complete/running 1972 CB750k2

[Tim.]

I could have bought a complete, running (nicely) 1976 CB750F for $500 last weekend.  Only problem was it had been sitting in the rain for a while - some surface rust, but it ran fine - I even test rode it.

Bottom line is you'll get what you get.  Advertise locally, put it on eBay (although I've never sold a vehicle on eBay and think it might be expensive and problematic).

Or, part it out.  Lots of money in parting it out, depending on the parts.  My 1976 CB550F's Sunrise Orange tank and sidecovers would likely fetch $300+ as a set on their own on eBay.  That's why I have another tank and sidecover set to put on the bike when the time comes to sell - I'll be selling the choice bits like that and my near-NOS brown vinyl seat and sell the bike with other replacement parts on it.

[AntiRiceCRX]

well see the bikes you guys are talking about buying are not like mine(no offense), my bike is in near mint condition, lots of polished parts, everythings original except for the custom fiberglass seat,custom aluminum rear fairing, and factory honda clip ons. It has electronic ignition, 3ohm coils and dyna plug wires, new tires front and back,freshly rebuilt and mercury sync'd carbs, starts up with the first push of the button and easily hits 100mph(with no front brake...i know its not safe  ) and its coming close to having 5k miles on it. not to mention the paint is near mint also. I have had offers of 2,500 but there all from young people who i do not see having that much money, they just really wanted it.

[ProTeal55]

Beauty & value is in the eye of the beholder, or in this case the buyer..
You might think your bike is mint, but the buyer might not.
Throw it up on Craigslist for sale, and have a realistic price in mind.

Like I said, I bought a complete, running, all their CB750 for $800. Plus I got a boatload of
extra/spare parts for it as well. I think I got a great deal, but others might think I paied too much.
This is all part of the "game" so to speak. I cant count the times I have been in Ebay and seen a car/bike with a 'left field" asking price..

[clarkjh]

If the young'ns have cash in had I'd take it.   It's not so much what some one is willing to pay, its what your willing to take.  I wreck can take the fun out of riding, but if the bike isn't costing you anything prep it for storage, you may want to ride again some day.

James

[Raul CB750K1]

well see the bikes you guys are talking about buying are not like mine(no offense), my bike is in near mint condition, lots of polished parts, everythings original except for the custom fiberglass seat,custom aluminum rear fairing, and factory honda clip ons. It has electronic ignition, 3ohm coils and dyna plug wires, new tires front and back,freshly rebuilt and mercury sync'd carbs, starts up with the first push of the button and easily hits 100mph(with no front brake...i know its not safe  ) and its coming close to having 5k miles on it. not to mention the paint is near mint also. I have had offers of 2,500 but there all from young people who i do not see having that much money, they just really wanted it.

Seems you know so well how much should it be worth. Then, why asking?


Raul

[ProTeal55]

Example --->

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1977-CB750-CB-750-Honda-Cafe-Racer-Custom-vintage_W0QQitemZ4644018812QQcategoryZ80647QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

This bike is a 750, yours is a 550.
This one has some "cafe" parts on it, yours is stock.
Guy says his reserve is $2,000 , you want more than 2grand for your scoot, and it doesnt even have a master cyllinder on it. Plus I can go back at look at all your posts about the "issues" you have had trying to fix/modify that scoot of yours...

See what I am getting at Jr ?

[Tim.]

If someone offered me $2,500 for my 550 right now, I'd jump on it.  That's a premium price for one of our bikes, unless of course it's a museum piece with no miles.

[crazypj]

It really sounds like your a speculator and are trying to push up the price telling us just how good it is. A stock bike is worth more than the 'modified' one you have, particularly as it has parts missing.
PJ

[beachpeople]

Uhm, aren't we supposed to be 'brothers in the SOHC wind" here? Peace, my brothers, less our dwindling ranks should be thinned out even more!

[putnaja1]

Honestly, the best thing for you to do is to get it working and reliable, then try to sell it for the best you can get for it.

I'm not talking any smack when I say this, but I honestly don't think you will get 2k for it right now, regardless of how polished and nice it looks.  You've posted here a bunch about all the things you have done to it to take it away from stock, and it doesn't sound like you have any of those mods sorted out.  So, if someone pays 2k for this bike, and then gets a vehicle that will require lots of $$$ and time to get it running, stopping right, and safe, they are not getting a good deal- since a lot of fully functional bikes are out there, priced less than a grand.  Remember- anyone can polish parts.  Not everyone can jet carbs, rebuild brakes, tune, etc.

Also, remember there are a lot of VERY good motorcycles in the 2k pricerange.  There's a lot of bikes out there- GPZ550s and 900s, EX500s, old Ninjas, DOHC CB750F's and 900F's, CBR Hurricanes, etc.  If you want big money, get it running right.  Then you've got a great looking bike that runs as well as it looks.  That gets the cash, and that would convince a buyer to buy your bike versus the others out there.

What I would honestly do is this:  Wait a while..  If you try to sell it now, you're not gonna get much for it.  If you don't have the time or patience to fix it now, just put it in the back of your garage.  Later on, you'll want to get this machine right, and then you'll already have the bike and most (if not all) the parts you need.

Jason

well see the bikes you guys are talking about buying are not like mine(no offense), my bike is in near mint condition, lots of polished parts, everythings original except for the custom fiberglass seat,custom aluminum rear fairing, and factory honda clip ons. It has electronic ignition, 3ohm coils and dyna plug wires, new tires front and back,freshly rebuilt and mercury sync'd carbs, starts up with the first push of the button and easily hits 100mph(with no front brake...i know its not safe  ) and its coming close to having 5k miles on it. not to mention the paint is near mint also. I have had offers of 2,500 but there all from young people who i do not see having that much money, they just really wanted it.

[meanboyjr]

I can see both sides of this one...

On the one hand, get what you can get for it. It all depends on the market. I mean, it's "worth" $2500 if you can get someone to give you $2500 for it. If you have someone lined up with that much cash-in-hand, take the money. The buyer will most likely tell you (haggle) if he thinks the bike is worth less because of the master cylinder.

On the other hand, nothing makes me madder than the insane prices I see for old(er) bikes, just because they're old. Some bikes are collectible, yes, and some of the early Hondas may fall into that category. But let's face it, not every bike is collectible, and even so, how collectible (and pricey) something is tends to be pretty subjective. I think the most overused word when selling a older scoot is "rare", followed by "classic"!

Personally, I think $2500 for a less-than-perfect, non-stock, modified, 30-year-old Honda CB is...well, very much on the high side. $2500 is no small chunk of change, and if you were in the market for a bike, that sort of cash could get you newer, more reliable transportation.

[AntiRiceCRX]

The reason im shooting for 2k or more is because thats how much i need to really get the civic running low high 8's to low 9's in the 1/8 mile haha.  Most of the running issues it has now are fixed, runs nice and smooth, i had the carb's sync'd like i was told by many of you and it fixed that clacking and it runs much smoother, i got the fork in and the clutch is adjusted, so most of the problems are sorted out, still no filters or master cylinder tho. I dont know what the deal was with the coils but all cylinders are firing cause all the pipes get hot.

[KCs76Cafe]

It is a good looking bike.    But you would definately get more for it with the front brake in working order. Get a newer master cyl off of ebay.......I paid $23 for mine including shipping.....and be done with it.

I paid $200 for my 76 750K and might have $600 total in it.......of course it didnt look quite like it does now.

[dusterdude]

for some reason,should you decide to keep it for a while and store it.put a can of seafoam in the tank and run a few miles thru it then drain the carb bowls before you let it sit.

[78_SaltLick]

I think it depends on what state you live in also. Your best bet is to put the stock seat back on it, and dont count on that much money for a 550. If it was a 750 i would say you have a chance, a 550 is not held is as high a regard in resale as the 750. Put the original seat back on, i think if you want that much money for it, youll get it only from someone who appreciated the fact that its in such good condition and has such low miles...typically that is a collector. You wont get that much without a stock seat on it, cause most of the guys like me that like cafe racers dont have any money.......ha ha oh and by the way sell me the seat you made if you decide to do that.....

[78_SaltLick]

SELL THE SEAT YOU MADE TO ME. DONT FORGET PLEASE!!

[VitaminCB550]

Anti Rice? Please explain. Also, what are you going for here - speed? Anyone with money can have speed. But, not anyone can have a bike as nice and interesting as yours. Do you think you're going to have an interesting conversation about your "Civic"? I believe in character and your bike, my friend, has character. Also, the mods on your "Civic" make it eat gas - I'm sure your CB still gets at least 35mpg. Oh, one more thing - chicks don't dig civics as much as they do bikes and for that matter, old bikes.

Do what you want - I'd keep the bike.

[Vatch]

Part of the beauty of these bikes is they can be had for cheap and if you mess one up you just get another one.  The trade-off is that to a large extent no matter how much $ and blood you put into these bike they're not worth much more when you try to turn around and sell them.  And I agree with these guys, eople just see cc's now and a 550, once considered a middle weight bike, is now considered a learner or girlfriend bike by most of the unenlightened masses.

Is it the cash you want or the accident that's the main issue?   In a few years the memories or at least specific memories of pain will fade  (first hand speaker here) and you may want to ride again. It will take time, took me a good 4 years.   If that is the case and you like the bike storing it for a few years may be the way to go.  The value won't decrease, so you can always change your mind.

And if you're set on selling and that kid shows up with a wad of cash, you'll know he's serious.

Either way, good luck with you decision. 

[78CB750F1]

You really shouldn't try and sell it to someone without a front brake - if you don't have the time to mount it, make sure that you tell the new owner not to take it anywhere before installing the front brake.

[pmpski_1]

For 2k the only maintenance I want to do is put gas in it. If you have someone that wants to give you that much, don't take a check.

VitaminCB550 said it though. I see 100 civics a day. Yawn. I'm sure you'll hear a different response over on hondacivicracecars.com/forums.

If you want something fast and out of the ordinary that still has all the class and style of your bike, find an old muscle car. Not as many of those around anymore. They've been replaced by 1000 "race car" civics with glued on wings and cut springs.

[crazypj]

Just had a quick look at your gallery.
does the front mudguard (fender) have a couple of dents in it from contacting exhaust pipes? ( probably, but maybe not yet, as you dont have a front brake.)
What you want is one of these, can get just over 500BHP from 1300cc, so over 1000bhp from 2.6 isnt unreasonable
http://www.totalkitcar.com/tkc_article_780.php
Scroll down to almost bottom of page to see what it really looks like
PJ

[billybobobrain]

Take it from someone who has  sold the only bike he had don't do it!!!!!!!!!!
as for a wreck?.......... There are only two kinds of bikers out there those who HAVE crashed and those who are GOING TO Crash!
bought a cb500 five years ago put (including the sale price) over $1000.00 into it just to get it on the road!
traded it for a junked out HONDA Accord had to fix the car before selling it at $800.00 and than a year later repurchased the very same bike for $300.00
GOOD LUCK!
Don't sell out for another death trap keep the one you have, (you will be just as dead no matter how you died) you will look back and say Damn I wish I had my ride back and you probably will not be as lucky as I was
just a side note picked up a FREE 72 cb750 in near mint condition guy took it apart to "Polish it" never put it back together. it even has a front brake cylinder!

[dr. destructo]

go click on the "for sale" forums and look at the post i just made "SHizzAAM!"  ...just some more fuel for the fire..

[AntiRiceCRX]

Well, another thing is, and i know some of you might be offended, but i thought that riding it would be fun and exciting like it was on my CBR but its most definatly not(maybe a 750 or 900 is what i need lol), so if i sell it, i can fix up my honda, when i join the airforce i could pick me up a brand new bike, im all about performance(not neccarily the fastest bike or fastest car is what i want but with the things i have, i usually go for performance before looks) and i thought with a few bolt ons this bike would have it but its not looking that way. I love the way it looks, but its just not me...im pretty sure ill sell it soon, for no less than $1500.

[chung]

Take the low offer and then charge them to fix it. it works for me. Dozens of times

[6pkrunner]

I laid out $1350 a few weeks ago and got Lord knows how many CB750s. Lots, plus lots of parts. Filled a 14 foot moving van.  I'm not slamming anyone, but for that type of coin you're looking for, it has to be an example of what someone can hop onto and drive with no effort but maintenance.

$2,000 will almost get you a stripped and bent sandcast Phillips screw for the clutch cover, so you've got some serious competition there.

[6pkrunner]

Absaolutely right SD. This really isn't the place to get a fair market appraisal from. Everyone here is looking for the best deal or diamond in the rough to build their way. For what he has there eBay is the best avenue to get the largest possible buyers to have a look.
And with some of the eBay bidding frenzies, he may justv get lucky.

[AntiRiceCRX]

exactly SiliconDoc, the bikes there comparing mine to are rusty, 30,000+ bikes that barely if at all run. I mean, yea somebody that wants to fix up a bike will grab a 100 dollar peice of junk and make it what they want, but if my bike is what they want, i think i can get a pretty penny for it.

[Ted Nomura]

I got my 1971 CB500 that looks like yours free (to free-up the original owner's storage space) and I bought the 1975 CB550 for $150 but I'm cheap. If I was looking for another, I'd shoot for under $800, unless if it had the original 1971-1976 factory 4 muffler pipes, then it's worth more.

[ElCheapo]

I'll just say that Civic's are just Civic's they happen as often as exhaust gas on nickel bean soup day and Harley oil leaks. No matter how fast it goes, it is still a Civic. I have seen Pintos with Blown Big Blocks, sure they go like mad and scare the hell out of anyone, but... they are still Pintos.

Honda CB's are another story. 

[comcrx]

first and foremost, you have a sweet looking bike. and the seat you made kicks ass, very original.

but the problem I saw is that you want to sell the bike for the amount of money you need to turbo your honda, not for what the bike is worth. I'm sure you could probably put it on the auction block and after listing it a couple different times get what you want out of it, but is that really the right thing to do?

someone mentioned that anyone can polish parts. that is true. just as true as the fact that anyone can install a greddy turbo kit and juice an extra hundred horsepower out of their rice rocket. twist some bolts, tap an oil line into your pan and relace the CPU. natural aspiration is so much more respectable at the strip, it takes time, knowledge and skill, just like getting a thirty year old motorcycle to look, run, and stop good.

you're gonna do what you're gonna do, but if it were me, I would at least get the bike in solid running, stopping order, make sure it looks as good as you want it, then try and sell it, for what you think it is worth, not how much money you need at the time.

andy

[ProTeal55]

I'll just say that Civic's are just Civic's they happen as often as exhaust gas on nickel bean soup day and Harley oil leaks. No matter how fast it goes, it is still a Civic. I have seen Pintos with Blown Big Blocks, sure they go like mad and scare the hell out of anyone, but... they are still Pintos.

Well said.
Just becasue car CAN be made fast , doesnt make it any cooler than when it was slow.

[AntiRiceCRX]

im not all about the SPEED, i mean theres stupid people that have made these cars out to be drag cars, and yes i do it with mine since thats the only kinda track we have around here. But if theres any hint of a RACE car designed into the little EG civic, its a road course racer not a drag racer. IMO fwd cars are NOT drag cars. And yea im kinda getting away from the turbo, as i want this to be my daily driver and still get good gas mileage. but any way


the bikes brakes work now
the bikes blinkers work now
i have decided to redesign the seat and rear fairing moving it forward for a more race look
My old seat will be for sale soon
maybe my old fairing(but most likely ill just slide it forward)
clutch fork is in and clutch is working great.
i beat a 883 Harley and a Honda Magna 750 lol